I had a tremendous week in The Volunteer, with many festival guests arriving unbidden - as 'twas always the way!

One thought about amplification at concerts. Who decides when it's needed and how loud it should be? This sounds like a symptom of me getting older, but I'm still left with the gripe as to why The Wilsons needed a sound check at the Manor Pavilion at all. The sound man himself is one of the Volunteer regulars, but had to be away earlier so he could conduct this.

Another situation was at Carinas for Rob Heron and the Teapads, who I've seen acoustic before this occasion. Not only were the relatively small audience kept waiting outside till ten minutes after the scheduled starting time, but for the small venue used, the bl**dy sound man was forever up and down coming from the back to stage right to twiddle this and that with little discernible difference to volume or quality - which was adequate.

... and then the beknighted performer feels forced to applaud the sound engineer for their work at the close!

Shurely shomething wrong??!